Democracy

columns

November 3, 2006

Magazine HP/De Tijd does not mince its words in its assessment of D66 MP Thom de Graaf’s likely new appointment as Mayor of Nijmegen. ‘Thom de Graaf should be ashamed of himself,’ the magazine headlines its article.

‘With the D66 about to disappear from parliament, how could Thom de Graaf allow himself to be named mayor? How low can the Democrats sink?’ The reason for HP/De Tijd’s strong words is simple. The D66 – and De Graaf in particular – have long campaigned for the introduction of elected mayors to replace the current system of political appointees. Not only is De Graaf doing something that he wants to see abolished – but D66 doesn’t have much support in local government either, the magazine points out. In Nijmegen, the D66 only has two seats on the 35-seat council. And, of the 28 local councils with a D66 mayor, 15 don’t have any D66 councillors at all. Now that’s Democracy for you.